Ditching and grading machine



' l.) 2Shets-Sheet 1.

E. I'. SOJOURNER. DITGHING AND GRADING MACHINE.

Patented Mar. 26, 1895.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2'.

' E. F. SOJOURNER.

DITOHING AND GRADING MACHINE.

Patented Mar. 26

UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFICE.

EDWARD F. SOJOURNER, OF HAZLEHURST,MISSISSIPPI.

DITCHING AND GRADING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 536,551, dated March26, 1895.

Application filed September 7.18941. serial No. 52 2,364. No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD F. SOJOURNER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Hazlehurst, in the county of Oopiah and State ofMississippi, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inDitching and Grading Machines, of which the following is aspecification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings,in which Figure l is a side elevation of my machinej Fig. 2 is ahorizontal section of the elevator rim, detached. Fig. 3 is a plan viewof machine. Fig. 4 is a front elevation, partly in section; and Fig. 5 adetail section showing the reversible chute.

This invention relates to that class of grading and ditching machinesmounted upon suitable wheels and carrying suitable plows which areadapted to take up the earth and turn it into a large broad-rimmedelevatorwheel provided on its interior with suitable buckets which carrythe excavated dirt above the axle and empty it into a chute, whichlatter conveys it out to one side of the machine and empties it into acart or upon the surface of the ground, as the case may be, as morefully hereinafter described. I

Referring to the drawings, a designates the frame of the machine, in therear bifurcated end of which is loosely mounted an elevating rim orspokeless wheel b, this rim carrying suitable buckets b on its interior.A plow d is mounted upon each side of the wheel and adapted to loosenthe earth and turn it into the wheel, each plow being rigidly connectedto a'forwardly-extending beam d which is pivoted to the frame and isswung up and down to adjust the plow vertically, by means of a lever d"which is pivoted on the frame and has its lower end connected pivotallyto a longitudinal slot 01 in the beam. The upper end of each lever d" islocked in its adjusted positions by means of the usual notched segment01 carried by the frame. Each beam (1 carries a colter d near its lowerend in advance of the plow, which assists the plow in cutting up theearth and directing it into the wheel. The forward end of the frame aworks through a horizontal frame e, which is pivoted on horizontalpivots e at its. ends, said pivots being supported by a frame e boltedto the front bolster a The front end of the frame a is pivoted to theframe 6, through which it passes horizontally, by means of a verticalbolt fiwhich is carried by the frame and works in longitudinal slots fformed in the frame, said slots extending the full length of said frame.The bolt f works freely back and forth in said slots as the frame a, ismoved fromone side to the other of the frame, and to draw said frame ato one side or the other ropes or chains 9 are connected at their outerends to the respective ends of the rocking-frame e and are wound upon avertical Windlass 9 carried on the forward end of the beam or frame ain. front of the rocking-[frame e. The axle carrying the wheels h-h isformed in two sections, which are bolted adjustably to the front bolstere by means of vertical eye-bolts 71., whereby the wheels may be adjustedin and out in order to run in the ditch or upon the surface of theground adjacent to the ditch. One of the axles may be cranked, as shownin dotted lines in Fig. 3, in order to enable the machine .to beadjusted for working on the side of a hill. As shown in Fig. 3, thedouble-tree o is provided with extensible sections i, and the neck-yokej is provided with similar sections 3', whereby the team may be broughtcloser to the pole or farther from it as the exigencies of the case mayrender desirable.

It will be observed that the bolster or beam (3 carrying the front axleis deepenough to permit the frames 6 e to be extended over the top ofthe front wheels, which construction permits the wheels to be adjustedin and out without hindcrance. Pivoting the forward end of the frame orbeam 0!. to a rocking frame and slidingly connecting the frame theretoby a vertical bolt, permits the elevator rim and plows to be adjustedlaterally in order to excavate close to either edge of the roadway orditch, and also permits the wheel and plows to vibrate vertically, tonot only enable them to conform to the surface of the ground, butalsopermit them to work in the ditch while the front wheels work outsidethe ditch. To adjust the elevator wheel to either side of the machine itis simply necessary to rotate the Windlass g, whereupon one of the ropesor chains g will be wound upon the Windlass and the other rope or chainwill be unwound therefrom, which will slide the front end of ICC It willbe observed that either or both plows may be used.

The advantage of mounting a plow on each side of the elevating rimopposite the spout or chute is that the road-bed may be graded close toits edges and the excavated earth taken up and thrown back upon theroad-bed, as is evident.

As will be seen the elevating rim is mounted loosely in the frame and isfree to rise and fall to conform to the surface of the ground. The rimis guided in its vertical movements and prevented from oscillating bymeans of side plates or guards is attached rigidly to the frame, theseguards being substantially segmental in shape and two being secured oneach side of the rim, one in front of and the other in the rear of thechute k, the curved edges of the plates or guards extending slightlybeyond the periphery of the rim. Extending over the rim is an arch Zupon the upper part of which is pivoted a lever l which is bifurcated soas to embrace or engage under the rim and which has its upper endconnected by a rod 12 to a lever 13 on the front part of the machine,which latter lever is locked in its adjusted positions by means of theusual segment and spring bolt. By means of this arrangement of leversthe rim may be lifted and held off the ground while the machine is beingtransported from place to place. To support the rear end of the machine,a caster-wheel m is mounted pivotally upon the lower end of a standard mwhose upper end is pivoted to the rear end of the frame. A lever'm ispivoted upon the frame and connected by link m to the swinging standardm in order that the caster-wheel may be adjusted backward and forward toraise and lower the frame of the machine, as is evident.

As the elevating rim supports simply its Ownweight and that of thebuckets and earth carried thereby, it may be necessary to attach to theperiphery of the rim the cleats n in order to increase the traction andinsure the rotation of the rim. To take up the pressure of the rimagainst the frame as the machine is traveling forward, an anti-frictionroller 72. is journaled between the side beams of the frame, directly inthe rear of the rim, and a similar roller is journaled in the forwardpart of the frame to take up the pressure when the machine is backing.These rollers do not support the rim but simply serve to hold it inplace and permit it to rotate with the least possible friction.

The chute 7a is a double ended one and is secured to a rock shaft aboutmidway its length, which rock shaft is journaled upon brackets ksupported on the frame and extending across the same through theelevator rim, the rock-shaft itself being supported within the rim andlying parallel with the frame... Thus pivoting the chute within the rimenables it to be tilted toward either side of the frame to throw thedirt in eitherdirection. To look the chute in either of its tiltedpositions or in a level position, any suitable devices may be employed.A device is shown which consists of a segment k mounted upon one of thebrackets and provided with aseries of holes k through one of whicharemovable pin k carried by the rock shaft, is passed, thereby lockingthe rock shaft to the stationary segment. By adjusting the pin in theapertures the chute may be locked in any one of its positions. It isdesirable sometimes to lock the chute in a horizontal position in orderto hold the excavated earth until it is carried to a suitable dumpingplace instead of emptying it upon the road-bed alongside the machine asit moves along.

It will be observed that this machine is exceedingly simple inconstruction and is also easily operated. An important advantage in theconstruction shown is that the wheel-rim may be removed readily and themachine used as a sulky-plow or cultivator. An important advantage as asulky plow lies in the fact that the frame and plows may be readilyadjusted sidewise with respect to the team in such a manner that ridgesor furrows may be readily plowed out and the soil leveled andpulverized, and further it is evident that other kinds of plows andcultivating devices may be used in place of the turn-plows shown.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim is- 1. In agrading machine, the combination of a frame and wheels supporting thesame, a wheel rim mounted loosely Within the frame and carryingelevating buckets, on its interior and adapted to rest on the groundmeans for guiding said wheel rim vertically, a chute extending throughsaid wheel rim, and a plow, substantially as described.

2. In a grading machine, the combination of a frame supported on wheels,a wheel rim supported loosely in the frame and carrying buckets,vertical guard-plates attached to the frame and embracing and guidingsaid rim, a chute extending through said rim, and an adjustable plow,substantially as described.

. 3. In a grading and ditching machine, the combination of a framemounted on wheels, a spokeless wheel-rim mounted loosely in the frameand adapted to vibrate vertically and carrying buckets, rollersjournaled on the frame in front of and in the rear of said wheel rim,means for vertically guiding the rim, a chute, and a plow, substantiallyas described.

4. The combination of a wheeled frame, a spokeless elevating rimcarrying buckets, and means for loosening the earth and depositing it insaid rim, and a double-ended chute pivoted within the rim and adapted totilt in either direction, substantially as described.

5. The combination of a wheeled frame, a spokeless elevating rim carriedthereby, a plow, and a double-ended chute pivoted within the rim andextending out beyond both sides thereof, and means for locking saidchute in various positions, substantially as described.

6. In aroadgrading machine, the combination of the front wheels andaxle, the main frame a connected to the axle, an elevator wheelsupported at the rear end of said frame, a spout or chute extending outfrom one side of the wheel, a pair of plows adj ustably supported onsaid frame, one being supported on each side of the elevator wheel andadapted to turn the earth into the wheel, substantially tending throughsaid rocking frame, a vertical bolt carried by said main frame andsliding in the slots in the rocking frame, means for adjusting theforward end of the main frame laterally in the rocking-frame, and anelevating wheel and excavating devices mounted on said main frame,substantially as described.

9. In a grading and ditching machine, the combination of a main framecarrying the elevating wheel and excavating devices, the front wheelsmounted on independently adjustable axles, a beam or bolster supportedon said axles and bolted thereto,'a rocking frame pivotally supportedupon said bolster and extending out over the wheels, and means foradjustably connecting the main frame to said rocking frame,substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature 45 v in presence of twowitnesses.

EDWARD F. SOJOURNER. Witnesses:

GEO. B. NELsoN, A. B. GUYRUs.

